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We offer both MS and PhD degreesin Electrical and Computer Engineering. The graduate program is designed with a focus on research. Our faculty members are experts in their fields with connections to industry and government agencies in the Washington, DC area. Our students come from rich and diverse backgrounds. We invite you to learn more about our graduate programs by visiting our About ECE page.

The A. James Clark School of Engineering also offers a Master's in Telecommunications, a Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), and a Graduate Certificate in Engineering. More information about these programs can be found here.

Fall Application Deadlines*

The fall 2017 admission cycle opened on August 15, 2016.

Applications and all supporting materials must be received by:

December 16: Preferred deadline
- Applicants are encouraged to apply after December 16 as financial support may still be available.March 15: International applicants

May 16: U.S. citizens and permanent residents

*Please note that we do not accept applications for spring or summer admission.

Minimum Admission Requirements

For admission to the graduate programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering, applicants should hold an undergraduate degree in electrical or computer engineering or a related field (math, computer science, physics, or other areas of engineering) and have an overall grade point average of 3.5 (B+) or better. In exceptional cases, students with a lower GPA may also be admitted. Other criteria include overall academic record, strength of recommendations, GRE scores, and adequacy of preparation. We do not post a minimum GRE score requirement. International students’ TOEFL or IELTS scores are also taken into consideration. Please see the International Student and Scholar Service's website for the minimum TOEFL and IELTS requirements. Applicants are competitively judged by a faculty committee.

Application Requirements

The following information must be submitted in order to have a completed application. Please note that applications will not be reviewed until all materials have been received.

Application Form

Application Fee
MS Program: $75
PhD Program:$75

Statement of Purpose

Resume/CV

Three Letters of Recommendation

GRE Test Scores (general test only)

TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores for international applicants

Official Transcripts

Statement of Purpose and Resume/CV should be uploaded in the Upload Requirements section. PDF format is preferred for both.

Letters of recommendation must be submitted electronically through the online application under the Important Links section in order to avoid delays in reviewing your application. We require official institutional email addresses for your recommenders. Letters of recommendation may arrive after submission of the online application but before the application deadlines.

GRE and TOEFL scores are sent electronically from ETS. Please use institution code 5814. The department code is not important. Scores are downloaded once per month, so please request your score report well in advance. It may take up to four weeks for us to receive your scores.

IELTS scores can be sent electronically to the department to speed up the application review process. To submit your scores to the department, please email a scanned copy of your IELTS report to ecegradstudies@umd.edu. Please ensure your Test Report Form (TRF) number is visible and legible. If recommended for admission, an official IELTS test report will need to be sent directly to the Enrollment Services Operation (Room 0130 Mitchell Building, College Park, MD 20742) for final review by the Graduate School.

Pearson Test of English (PTE) scores are sent electronically from Pearson by selecting University of Maryland - College Park while viewing your scores in your account. View detailed instructions here.

Official transcripts from all previously attended higher education institutions should be uploaded to your application. If a transcript is not in English, both an original language version and English translation must be provided. Only admitted students who choose to enroll will be required to submit official hard copy transcripts to the Graduate School by the end of the fall semester.

How To Apply

Applications are submitted online via the Graduate School website. When creating your application account, please ensure that your name matches the name listed on your official, government-issued identification (e.g., passport).

In the Educational Intent section of the application, please select:

College/School: A. James Clark School of Engineering - Research Programs

Program of Study: Electrical and Computer Engineering (ENEE)

Degree: MS or PhD

In the Previous Education section, please enter your cumulative GPA for all schools attended as listed on your transcript. International students should NOT convert their GPA to the 4.0 scale.

In the Upload Requirements section, only items #1 (Statement of Purpose) and #2 (Resume/CV) are required. Please disregard all other items as these materials will not be considered as part of the application.

After responding to both required and relevant items, submit your application and pay the $75 application fee.

Application Status:
You can log in to your application anytime to check the status of your application. This information will be displayed on your application dashboard.

Application Assistance:

If you need to make any changes after you have submitted the application, you must contact the Graduate School at gradschool@umd.edu.

For any technical difficulties with the online application, please contact Application Support.

For all other questions relating to the application process, please contact the department at ecegradstudies@umd.edu.

Application Review Process

After your application is complete, it will be reviewed by the ECE Department. The department will decide whether or not to recommend you for admission to the Graduate School. The Graduate School makes all final admissions decisions and will issue the official admission letter.

In most cases, applicants who have submitted complete application packages by the stated deadline should receive notification of admission or rejection between February and May. Once the decision has been made, you will be able to view your decision letter online by logging back into your application.

Financial Aid

The department offers various types of financial aid to exceptionally qualified applicants. If you indicate on your application that you wish to be considered for financial aid and submit all your application materials by December 16, you will be considered for all available forms of funding. Most financial aid offers are made before April 15th.

Clark School Distinguished Graduate Fellowships are offered to applicants with exceptionally strong academic records. Fellowships include full tuition remission, subsidized health benefits, and a generous stipend.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) are nine-month appointments that are awarded to excellent students. They consist of teaching responsibilities in a discussion section or lab or grading responsibilities. You do not need to apply separately for a TA position.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) are awarded to applicants by individual faculty members who have active, grant-funded research projects. You may wish to contact faculty members with whom you are interested in working to inquire about GRA opportunities.

Deferment of Admission and Term Changes

Application Withdrawal Dates/Termination of Admission Status

Please note that all incomplete applications and applications from international students who are not cleared for admission will be withdrawn by May 31. Applicants who do not register for the semester for which they are admitted will have their admission terminated.

Master's in Telecommunications

The Master's in Telecommunications Program is a cross-disciplinary program offered jointly by the A. James Clark School of Engineering and the Robert H. Smith School of Business. The program is professional in nature and combines technical courses and business courses to prepare students for career advancement in the telecommunications industry. Students must successfully complete 30 credits and a scholarly paper to earn the Master of Science degree.

M.Eng/Graduate Certificate in Engineering

The Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree is distinct from the research-focused MS in ECE. This program requires successful completion of 10 approved courses (30 credits total). Neither a thesis nor a scholarly paper is required. This program is managed by the Office of Advanced Engineering Education.

The Office of Advanced Engineering also offers a Graduate Certificate in Engineering (CGEN) degree. The program requires completion of four approved courses (12 credits total) with an ECE focus.